Laura Richardson low on funds

First, the California congresswoman got slammed by the House ethics committee for mixing politics with official business. Then the panel expressed concerns that she hounded aides for cooperating with investigators. Now, she’s out of money.

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Richardson raised $7,000 from July through September — a figure smaller than the $9,000 she loaned her own campaign and the roughly $8,000 she was credited for in refunds and canceled checks to her lawyers.

If the Democratic Transportation and Infrastructure Committee member beats fellow Democratic incumbent Janice Hahn in November, Richardson will have lifted more political baggage across the finish line than any other candidate this election cycle.

Her campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

Hahn raised almost $180,000 in the cycle leading up to the election, with a noticeable boost from transportation-related groups and unions. California assembly member Isadore Hall, who dropped out of the congressional race last year, gave to Hahn along with the PAC of former Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) and the committee related to former Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-Tenn.). And in a somewhat unusual move for leadership with same-party races, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) added his campaign to the list.

Hahn’s campaign says the figures signify Richardson’s demise.

“It’s a testament to the reality that voters and donors have lost faith in Laura Richardson,” Hahn campaign adviser Dave Jacobson told POLITICO. “They are completely turned off by her reprimand in Congress. … Residents and donors and endorsers that have been following the race believe it is over.”

Hahn, he pointed out, had momentum from the start. She won the primary with a 20-percentage point lead.

The incumbent battle stems from a reconstructed district and California’s new open primary rules. While Hahn does not serve on the transportation committee, she spearheaded the PORTS caucus and has made a name for herself prioritizing maritime issues. And if Richardson loses, a T&I spot opens up.

Contributors include the likes of the Cruise Lines International Association, Air Line Pilots Association, Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association, Maersk and Boeing.

Jacobson said Hahn remains “focused on doing her job” and would not speak to whether she would make a grab for Richardson’s T&I spot.

Hahn’s campaign owes $193,000 compared with Richardson’s nearly $530,000 and has not quite double as much cash on hand.

Once regular donors, only a handful of Congressional Black Caucus members contributed this cycle to Richardson, including the PACs of Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) and Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.). The shrinking number of givers encompasses California NAACP President Alice Huffman and former California Congressman Mervyn Dymally, who just died.

“Richardson has had a chamber of horrors of problems,” veteran California Democratic strategist Garry South said. “It’s just not going to happen for her.”

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 5:55 p.m. on October 16, 2012.